Sir Tony Baldry, whose constituency the rail line would pass through, said he abstained because he didn’t think the bill would be defeated and he disagreed with opponents of the scheme making the vote a “test of strength”.

Instead he said he welcomed the opportunity to scrutinise the bill.

A spokesman for Mr Cameron said he was otherwise engaged.

A group of 34 Tories voted against the High Speed Rail (London-West Midlands) Bill 2013-14 which would approve the first phase of the multi-billion pound project.

The train line would pass Aylesbury and Buckingham, passing briefly through Oxfordshire as Finmere and Mixbury.